Live rail and shoe construction

ABSTRACT

A construction for a current collector and a live rail along which the current collector or shoe moves, as for electrically driven vehicles, includes a slide surface with dove-tail-shaped grooves which engage over correspondingly shaped ribs on the web of the live rail. Between the ribs, the slide surface has Vshaped grooves into which portions of the web are pressed.

United States Patent 1191 Hillmann Nov. 26, 1974 [5 1 LIVE RAIL AND SHOE CONSTRUCTION 3,341,669 9/1967 Martin et al. 238/143 [75] Inventor: Willi Hillmann, Kamen, Germany Assignee: Paul Vahle KG, Kamen, Germany Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

g 14, Assistant Examiner-Richard Bertsch [21] Appl. No.: 388,095

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data S C Sept. 11, 1972 Germany 2244492 A construction for a current collector and a live rail [52] US. Cl 191/29, 238/131, 238/143 along which the current collector or shoe moves, as [51] Int. Cl 860m 1/34 o elect c y driven vehicles, includes a slide surface [58] Field of Search 238/143, 134, 148, 141, With do e-tail-Shaped grooves which engage over cor- 238/122, 131; 191/22, 29, 45, 47 respondingly shaped ribs on the web of the live rail.

Between the ribs, the slide surface has V-shaped [56] References Cited grooves into which portions of the web are pressed.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,765 5/1883 McKenney 238/131 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LIVE RAIL AND SHOE CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a live rail for the supply of power to movable current consumers with high current requirements and high speeds through a current collector movable along the live rail, consisting of a base of metal and a slide surface which is arranged on the base and interfitted therewith, formed of an especially wearresistant metal.

2. The Prior Art Live rail arrangements are known for movable current consumers, such as electric trains, suspended cars and crane arrangements, as well as main current collectors, trolley collectors and the like which consist of a metallic base and a slide surface which is arranged on the base and interfitted therewith of a wear-resistant and corrosive-resistant metal are known. See, for example, Luger, Lexikon der Technik, Vol. Lexikon der Fabrikorgansation und Fordertechnik, page 430 and DBGM 7,l 14,522. In these it has been sought to dimension the slide surface, which is formed of a very costly metal, as light as possible, while guaranteeing that the base participates in the transport of current and that there is an undisturbed transfer of current from the base to the slide surface. An unusually large current supply requires a broad contact between the contacting surfaces of the base and the slide surface. With smaller dimensions such an extensive contact can be produced simply by rolling or mounting the U- shaped slide surface on the widened head of the base.

tween the shoe of the current collector and the live rail must be assured at all times. The larger currents may be taken care of through correspondingly heavier design of the rail. For insuring a continuous contact between the rail and the shoe of the current collector, it

is possible to provide a wider rail head or a wider shoe.

With a shoe which is broader than the head of the live rail there is connected a disadvantage in that the live rail wears a flange groove in the shoe. Such grooves lead to disturbances of operation, especially to interference with the transmission of current from the rail to the current collector. Grooves are not produced if the head of the rail is broader than the shoe.

In a base with a slide surface arranged thereon and forming a live rail the broadening of the head of the rail, that is the sliding surface of the live rail, also leads to difficulties, because the customary connection of a U-shaped profiled slide surface with the widened head of the base by the breadth in question does not bring about sufficient contact between the base and the live rail and for this reason no satisfactory current transfer from the base to the live rail is produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has the basic purpose of providing an adequate contact between the base and the slide surface in such current transmitting devices with an equally broad surface, which assures an adequate transfer of current from the base to the slide surface.

It has proven advantageous to start out with a blank of a slide surface which is provided, between spacedapart U-shaped grooves, with groove-like recesses, into be used a base which is in general U-shaped, on the cross-piece or web of which the shoe is arranged. To simplify the installation it can be provided that the legs of the U-shaped base are converted into outwardly or inwardly bent fastening flanges.

In a different modification of the invention there is provided a base which consists in general of a rectangular hollow profile, on which then advantageously fastening flanges are formed on the side opposite the slide surface.

The particular adaptability of the slide surface according to the invention for high speeds does not exclude its use for low speeds. In this casev also the broader contact surface with the rail is advantageous, such as is made possible by the use of the broad slide surface. A wide slide surface gives a better contact than a narrow slide surface, so that in addition a better transfer of current from the rail to the current collector results.

The new live rail according to the invention is constructed in that, by bending the web sections of the base which extend in the line of the grooves in the slide surface into the grooves, the legs of the slide surface between the U-shaped recesses and the grooves are pressed against the corresponding flanks of the projections provided on the web of the base, advantageously by means of a roll working on the web part. By corresponding shaping of the base and the slide surface, the outer legs of the slide surface in a known way, for instance by means of a roller operating on them, are bent against the corresponding flanks of the base.

It has been found advantageous to produce deformation of the web parts of the base which are aligned with the grooves of the slide surface by pressing on the other surface parts of the base. This type and manner of production saves a subsequent adjustment of the slide surface.

Additionally the lighter construction of the slide surface also allows its production by a type of pure drawing process.

For the production of the slide surface an arrangement is advantageous in whichin general through an outer contact of a corresponding female part with the base and slide surface and a corresponding male part I which has a contour corresponding to the inner con- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, the invention is further explained. These show: I

FIG. 1 a cross-section through the base of the live rail with the slide surface arranged thereon but not connected therewith;

FIG. 2 the completed live rail in a section corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a section corresponding to FIG. 1 through a partially shown arrangement for the production of the connection between the base and the slide surface; and

FIG. 4 a section on the live IVIV of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The live rail consists of a base 11, of an electrically conducting material and a wear-and corrosion-resistant slide surface 12 of a metal with good electrical conductivity.

The base 1 1 consists of a box profile 111, whose web 112 is provided with dove-tail projections 113 and on which the slide surface 12 is arranged. On the opposite side of the rail head (112/12) are formed fastening flanges 114 on the base 11.

The slide surface 12 with the sliding surface 121 has on the side turned towards the base 11 U-shaped recesses 122, which engage over the dove-tailed projections 113 on the web 112 of the base 111 and between the recesses 122 additional grooved recesses 123.

The matching connection between the base 11 and the slide surface 12 which assures a good mechanical stability and a good transfer of current is produced through a multiple inter-locking between the base 11 and the slide surface 12, which is produced by bending the inner legs 124 and the outer legs 124 of the slide surface 12 against the undercut flanks of the dovetailed projections 113 of the base 11 (FIG. 2).

The bending of the inner legs 124 of the slide surface 12 is produced by pressing the web part 112 of the base 11 into the grooved recesses 123 of the slide surface 12 (see FIG. 1, arrow A, and FIG. 2). The outer legs 24 of the slide surface 12 are through pressure moved to a position against the corresponding flanks of the dove-tailed projections 113 of the base 11 (see FIG..

1, arrow B, and FIG. 2).

In FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown in a generally schematic way an arrangement for the production of the slide surface. The female member 21 corresponds to the outer contour of the base 1 1 provided with the slide surface 12. The male part corresponding to the female part 21 consists of a bearing block 22 with rolls 221 and 222 mounted thereon. The roll 221 serves for pressing the web part 1 12 of the base 1 1 into the grooved recesses 122 of the slide surface 12, and the roll 222 for pressing against the surface parts 116 of the base 11 lying opposite the web 112. Further elements for exerting pressure on the side parts 117 of the face can be provided.

The female part 21 may be provided with an inclined surface leading thereinto, so that the outer legs 124' will be bent into their positions when the slide surface and rail are acted upon by the male and female parts.

I claim: 1. The combination of a rail and slide surface for the supply of current to movable current comsumers, comprising a metallic base (11) forming a live rail and a slide surface (12) fitting with the base and arranged thereon, of a wear-resistant metal, in which on the surface of the base facing the slide surface there are provided a plurality of dove-tail shaped projections (113) extending along the length of the base, the slide surface having U-shaped recesses (122) in the contact surface which grip said projections, the flanks of the recesses engaging against the corresponding flanks of the projections, and in which the base has web portions on on which said projections are formed, and the slide surface between the U-shaped recesses is provided with grooved recesses (123), thereby forming legs (124) on the slide surface, the aligned surface parts of the web being bent into the grooved recesses, whereby the legs of the slide surface between the U-shaped recesses and the grooved recesses are bent against the corresponding flanks of the dove-tail shaped projections (113).

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the legs (124') of the slide surface are bent against the corresponding flanks of the base (11).

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the base has legs ending in the fastening flanges.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the base is a hollow profile having a web on which the shoe engages.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which thereof opposite the web. 

1. The combination of a rail and slide surface for the supply of current to movable current comsumers, comprising a metallic base (11) forming a live rail and a slide surface (12) fitting with the base and arranged thereon, of a wear-resistant metal, in which on the surface of the base facing the slide surface there are provided a plurality of dove-tail shaped projections (113) extending along the length of the base, the slide surface having U-shaped recesses (122) in the contact surface which grip said projections, the flanks of the recesses engaging against the corresponding flanks of the projections, and in which the base has web portions on on which said projections are formed, and the slide surface between the U-shaped recesses is provided with grooved recesses (123), thereby forming legs (124) on the slide surface, the aligned surface parts of the web being bent into the grooved recesses, whereby the legs of the slide surface between the U-shaped recesses and the grooved recesses are bent against the corresponding flanks of the dove-tail shaped projections (113).
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the legs (124'') of the slide surface are bent against the corresponding flanks of the base (11).
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the base has legs ending in the fastening flanges.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the base is a hollow profile having a web on which the shoe engages.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which fastening flanges are formed on the base on the sides thereof opposite the web. 